1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for differentiating a primate embryonic stem cell into a vascular cell. More particularly, the present invention relates to a differentiation method comprising differentiating a primate embryonic stem cell into a vascular cell, and obtaining the vascular cell; the vascular cell; and a method for producing the vascular cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, studies on the differentiation and regeneration of various organs have been advanced, and the regenerative therapies in the field of clinical medicine have been brought into view as actual subjects of studies. Therefore, it has been placed more expectations on regenerative medicine day by day. Inter alias, a study using an embryonic stem cell having an ability to differentiate into all types of cells or organs in a living body is one of main themes in clarification of the mechanism of development or differentiation and regenerative medicine.
So far, studies on a mouse embryonic stem cell have been progressed. In addition, an embryonic stem cell of a primate such as a human and a monkey has been established. It has been revealed that a primate embryonic stem cell greatly differs from a mouse embryonic stem cell in, for example, a form of a colony, expression manners of cell surface antigens, a proliferation and division rate, and dependency on leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) [Pera et al., Journal of Cell Science, 113, 5-10 (2000)].
On the other hand, in the regenerative therapy for vascular vessel, for example, a clinical trial regarding a vascular regenerative medicine using a single angiogenesis factor such as vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, hepatic growth factor or the like has been performed on ischemic diseases. However, as described above, the vascular regenerative medicine using angiogenesis factor has a defect that the vascular regenerative medicine has disadvantages in safety, since in a random double blind control clinical trial using bFGF in a coronary disease, a symptom is improved by the vascular regenerative medicine in a short term but not in a long term. Therefore, under current situation, it is desired that in vascular regenerative therapy, a correct vascular structure composed of an endothelial cell tube having a mural cell is generated.